Gas-producer.



IVw. HORNSEY.

v GAS PRODUCER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. I914- RENEWED AUG. I7, I917.

MMM

J. W. HORNSEY.

GAS PRODUCER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3, 1914. RENEWED AUG- m 1911.

1 ,267,1G. Patented May 28,1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

J. w. HORNSEIY.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. 1914- RENEWED AUG. 17.1917.

1 ,267,4 1 0,, Patented May 28, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

wmww/a 1'. W. HORNSEY.

GAS PRODUCER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 3. I9 4- RENEWED AUG.11.1917- 12673410. Patented May 28,1918

4 SHPETSSHEET 4.

wwwmwaz am 6.2M

- JOHN W. HORNSEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 'IO GENERAL REDUCTION GA AND BY-PRODUCTS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE. I

GAS PRODUCER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lVIay 28, 1918;

Application filed July 3, 1914, Serial in). 848,704. Renewed August 17, 1917. Serial No. 186,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN \V. IIORNSEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Summit, Union county, New Jersey, have invented new and useful. Improvements in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a section of a gas producer embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation,

partly in section, thereof; Fig. 3 shows a section of a modified form of my device, and Fig. 4 is a section on lines IVIV of Fig. 8.

My invention relates to gas producers and is comprised of apparatus adapted to be used continuously and in which the material treated will repeatedly be passed through a heated and agitated zone by means of a plurality of lifting blades or 'bucketsfand by which the various particles of material are repeatedly lifted and separated fromeach other and are brought into contact with the heated gases in the heated zone in such fashion as to expose the greatest amount of surface to chemical reaction,.which thereby expedited and rendered more efficient. The apparatus which I shall hereinafter describe and claim is particularly suitable for use in carrying out the invention described and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 653,522, filed ,Oc'tober 9, 1911.

In my improved producer I am enabled to recover a much higher percentage of heat values than in apparatus heretofore used, and my producer is much simpler and more durable than those used in the prior processes. My producer is so'constructed that I am enabled to continuously feed the material into it, to withdraw the ash continuously, to maintain temperatures therein which are most eflicient in producing the desired reacting, and also to constantly supply and maintain the material to be treated in a state of constantly agitated sub-division, with the result that the gas produced is of a much more uniform quality than heretofore. Further objects of myinvention are the utilization of finely divided fuel, the production of gas substantially free from tar, and in theeonstruction and operation of apparatus which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

"Referring to the drawings, in which I have shown preferred types of apparatus illustrating my invention, 2 is a metal shell creasing adapted to be rotated by any wellknown means, and preferably inclined from the rotation thereof in a substantially uniformly distributed shower, the lips 5 of the buckets being so arranged that as they travel upward they will form pockets 6 for the ma terial so that all of the material will not fall out of these pockets until each pocket has reached substantially the highest point in the casing. The sides of the pockets are preferably arranged in staggered relation, so that the material falling from one set of pockets will fall out of horizontal alinement with the material in the succeeding and preceding sets. The pockets are arranged between and separated by the transverse rings or ribs 7, which may, however, be made integral with the lifting blades 4. i

.At the feed end 8 of the casing is a conveyer 9 by which'the material is admitted, and at the discharge end 10 is an off-take '11, from which the ash or waste material is discharged. In the ends 8 and 10 are openings ,12 and 13, respectively, through which the oxygen-bearing agent, such as air, steam or carbon-dioxid, may be admitted into the interior of the vessel, and 14 are the inlet ports in the walls of the casing 2. through which, if desired, the oxygen-bearing or temperature-controlling agent, such as atmospheric air, may also be admitted to assist in the regulation of thc reactions and temperatures. At the feed end 8 are the outlets 15 and 16, and at the discharge end are the outlet 17 and the offtake 11, various ones of which may be used as outlets for the gas, as'desired. The burner 18 for oil or gas,- may be .used as astarting device. The numeral 19 dllCllQitiEQSil settlingbasin, mwhich the ash terial to prevent any leakage through the conveyer.

My apparatus is of the double-ended type and 1s capable of being used 111 carry ng out my invention in a variety of ways, and I will now describe two typical examples o'f'the ways in which it may utilized for making gas.

First. Introducing gas in. which it is de sired to recover by-products from the fuel, I first pro-heat the vessel by any suitable means, as by the burner 18, and when the interior of the vessel has reached the desired temperature I begin to revolve it and to feed a small quantity of coal or other carbonaceous material in through the conveyor 9. As thischarge reaches the desired temperature I increase the'feed ot the material to the desired point and continue torevolve the cylinder, at the same time admitting air and, if desired, steam, through the openings-.13 in sufficient quantities to promote partial combustion. The revolution of the casing causes the pockets 6 to fill up with the material as they pass downward into the mass and to spill it out or shower it in a thin stream across the inner diameter of the easing. Each pocket performs essentially the same operation, and as each set of pockets is staggered with relation to the adjacent sets, there ensuesnot only a series of these showers following each other with regard to any one set of buckets, but thereis also a series of showers out of line with they showers on each side of it. As the cylinder is preferably inclined the material advances with each revolution of the vessel, so that it is showered again and again by the successive pockets down through the oxidizing agent on to the bottom of the casing, thus exposing the largest possible surface to the reacting elements, and the showering in connection with the tumbling action from the top and bottom of the casing effectivel removes the surfaces of the particles which have become seared by the action of the heat, which otherwise would prevent or retard the desired reaction.

The gas begins to pass ofi from the material shortly after it is fed intothe dhamber, and can be led away either through the gas outlets 15 or 16, as desired. After the operation has proceeded far enough to insure the presence of a suitable amount of carbonaceous material in a more or less completely coked or distilled condition, having obtained the rcquisite-(legree oi heat, I shut off the burner 18 and regulate the flow of air and steam through the openings 12, so that a highly heated producer gas will be formed by the combination of the oxygen of the air and the steam with the coked material. Should the temperature fall below that required to produce the desired percentage of carbon monoxid, I reduce the flow of steam, and the combustion of the carbon to carbon dioxid at the lower temperature speedily raises the temperature of the cylinder to that. point at which the producer gas containing principally carbon-monoxid and hydrogen (diluted with atmospheric nitrogen) is produced. Should the temperature increase to such an extent to be undesirable, I increase the How of steam.

The oxidation of the carbon to carbon monoxid is more than suflicient to develop the degree of heat required for the production of the desired percentage of carbonmonoxid, and the introduction of the. steam has, asis well known, a. cooling effect on the gas gene *atedin the vessel, so that by properlv regulating the flowof air and steam-I can decompose the carbon into a producer gas. carrying a suitableamount of sensible heat to distil completely the-material entering into the. vessel (where its distillation is not exothermic), and the products of distillation are then carried off by the outgoing producer gas, to be recovered from it in any well known manner, while the ,ash or waste drops down through the oii'take 11 into the settlino' basin 19, from which it is. readily removed.

Second. hen it is desired to produce a tar-free gas, the apparatus is operated in the manner which I have specified above; except thatthe air to promote combustion is introduced through the openings 12 at the feed end and the is withdrawn either from the outlet 17 or the ofit-ake 11. It desired, steam can also be introduced with the air or separately. or in the form of water.

When the apparatus is operated in the manner first described, the gas is witlulrawn through outlets 15 or 16; as-the fuel travels through the apparatus it is gradually heated, the volatile matter is distilled, and this volatile distillate traveling through and out of the apparatus with the gas, passes through zones of gradually lowering temperature. At no point is it heated above the temperature of distillation, and consequently no chemical or physicalcl'iange will be effected in the volatile until it leaves the apparatus and is cooled; then, only a physical change results; namely, condensation into tar or case the volatile distillate passes through through the openings 12.

zones of gradually increasing 'temperatuj-res and thus is distilled before it canreach the outlet 17 or .otl'take 11. This temperature is sufficient, when a proper-a' 1no'untof free oxygen is present, to effect a complete chemical change in the tarsand oils, thus changing them chemically as well as physically into a fixed gas. 1 1 i As in the first operation I have described, the carbonaceous material as it travels from the feed end 8 toward the discharge end 10, gradually rises in temperature, the volatile matter is distilled; and, air is introduced When the tem perature of combination is"reac=hed:,jthe oxygen of the air unites with some of the constituents of the material. 'This'develops heat, producing principally carbon dioxid (CO but also forming other gases containing hydrogen or carbon and of varying composition, depending upon the relative quantities of combining elements and the temperature of combination. As these gases, carrying .with them or meeting in their travel, the requisite, amount of oxygen, are led toward the outlet li' or 'ofltake 11 in a highly heated condition, they react chemically with the shower of falling material through which they must pass in order to reach the said outlets, and in these reactions carbon dioXid unites with carbon, forming carbon monoXid, while some of the other gases are partially decomposed or cracked, forming simpler hydrocarbon oxidizable gaseous compounds and hydrogen. The tar and other by-products resulting from-the initial distillation of the material, where it enters the .cylinder, and contained in the gas thereby liberated, are, by the heat of the aforesaid chemical reaction, raised to sucha.

high temperature that they are converted into fixed gases. The combustible constituents of the finally resulting gas are principally carbon monoXid and hydrogen. H

The oxidizing agent, in passing through the cylindeig is ditl'usedthroughout its crosssectional. area in a substantially uniform volume and the material, by reason of the construction and arrangement of the pockets, is also distributed uniformly, so that reactions will, take place uniformly between the material and the oxidizing agent throughout the entire cross-sectional area of the cylinder, and a uniform heating is therefore generated through a vertical 'cross sectional plane, taken at any given point in the length of the cylinder.

It is obvious that in my apparatus the heat necessary for distillation'is obtained by contact directly with the various particles of the material rather than by conduction through a mass of material, so that distillation is readily effected at conmaratively low applied temperatures, thus insuring an inthe ash into the settling basin 19.

creased iyi'eld'i of.byproducts. The distillation is also the more readily effected by reason of the fact that as the finely divided 'material; is' dropped by the rotation of'the vessel or as it is rolled or tumbled over the bottom of the vessel, the ash adhering to the surfaceof the particles is broken or rubbed off, and in consequencethe particles are constantly presenting fresh surfaces to the heating gases until they are entirely couverted into gas by-products and ash. It is also clear that by reason of the arrange ment of the pockets for the material and their staggered relation, there is little or no possibility of the formation of chimneys or blow-holes betweenthe showers of "the material, as the material is kept constantly and uniformly in motion and in clinker form by a fusing ash, which agglomerants will form into comparatively smallmasses,

like the marbles from Portland cement kilns, and will be autoniatically discharged without adhering to the interior of the cylinder, or without the necessity of manual breaking. The check rings 7 will also pre' arranged at intervals throughout the casing, instead of between each set of buckets. so

as toact not only asretarding means but to form various zones inthe vessel. I have also shown in the-dischargeend of the vessel a baflie 23, which causes the gas, if the gas is being withdrawn from the discharge end of the vess'el, to pass around and under the baflle' prior to being ledout of the stack 24..-and thereby assists in throwing down The check rings 7"jdivide the vessel. into three different zones, A; B and C, which are heated to PIOgI'QSSIYQly increasing temperatures from the feed end to the discharge end. hen it is desired to recoverthe byprodu'cts the gas-is withdrawn through either the outlet15' or the outlet 16, and it is obvious that the zoneA,iinto which the material'is fed, will be of'lo'wer temperature than the succeeding zones B and C, and that by-prod ucts will be carried off with the gas formed in zone A, and that in the zone B other b v products, released at a higher temperature, will also be carried (sa by the 'gas, but that, owing to the highly heated condition'of the zone C, no by-products will be recovered therefrom, and any gas generated therein will be generated asa' fixed When it is desired to produce'a fixed gas, thegas is Withdrawn through the stack '24=, in which case the by-products released in zones A and B will be carried through zone C, and will there be distilled, and the resulting product will be a fixed gas. I

The apparatus which I have described is especially applicable for making producer gas from inferior grades of coal, from straw,

1. In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an in-' take and offtake for the material and an outlet for the gas, a refractory lining in said vessel, said lining containing a plurality of sets of pockets, the pockets of each ,set being staggered with reference to the pockets of adjacent sets, and retarding rings arranged at intervals through the length of the casing and being adapted toretard the flow of the material therethrough, each set of pockets being adapted to shower the material clear across the cross section of the vessel in a series of showers out oflongitudinal alinement with showers falling from adjacent sets.

2. In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an intake and an ofl'take for the material and an outlet for the gas, a refractory lining in said vessel, said lining containing a plurality-of lifting blades, said lifting blades comprising means for lifting the material and for showering it across the inner circumference of the vessel, each set of lifting blades being arranged in staggered relation with the adjacent set of lifting blades, and a plurality of retarding rings arranged at intervals throughout the length of the vessel.

3. In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an intake and an ofltake for the material, the vessel being equipped with a plurality of sets of lifting blades for lifting and showering the material across the cross section of the vessel, the lifting blades of each set being arranged out of longitudinal alinement with the blades of an adjacent set, outlets for the gas at opposite ends of the vessel, one of said outlets being arranged for removal of tar-free gas. and another of said outlets being adapted for removal of gas and gaseous b-y-products, and means for reversing the direction of the gas to remove it through the said outlets.

4. In apparatus for continuously-making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an inthrough said outlets.

take and an ofl'take for the material, the vessel being equipped with means for manr taining the material in a finely comminuted and subdivided condition in its travel through the vesel, means consisting of a plurality of sets of lifting blades on the inner periphery of the vessel, each set having its blades out of longitudinal alinement with the blades of adjacent sets, the sets being adapted to cause the material to fall in a series of succeeding showers out of longitudinal alinement with showers falling from ;adjacent sets, an outlet for gas at the same end of the vessel as the intake, adapted to be used for removal of gas and gaseous byproducts, an outlet for gas at the same end of-the vessel as the offtake, adapted to be used for the removal of fixed gas, and means for reverslng the flow of gas to remove it In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an m take and an offtake for the material, sets'of lifting blades arranged about the inner periphery of the vessel and forming a plurality of sets of pockets for successively and continuously elevating and showering the material down upon the bottom of the vessel, means for retarding the travel of the material and exposing it to heat, arranged at intervals throughout the length of the vessel, an outlet for the gas, and a baffle interposed in the outlet adapted to assist in the separation of the ash from the gas.

6. In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an intake and an oiftake for the material, sets of lifting blades arranged about the inner periphery of the vessel and forming a plurality of sets of pockets for successively and continuously elevating and showering the material down upon the bottom of the vessel, partitions dividing the interior of the vessel into a plurality of zones, and outlets for removal of the gas.

7. In apparatus for contini'iously making producer gas, a rotary vessel having an intake and an offtake for the material, sets of lifting blades arranged about the inner periphery of the vessel and forming a. plurality of sets of pockets for successively and continuously elevating and showering the material down upon the bottom of the vessel, outlets for the gas, a starting burner fori 'nitin the material and 0 aenin s into D b D the vessel for the introduction thereinto of an oxygen-bearing agent.

' 8. In apparatus for continuously making producer gas, a'rotary vessel having an intake and an offtake for the material and an outlet for the gas, a refractory lining in'said vessel, said lining containing a plnrality of sets of lifting blades, said lifting blades comprising means for lifting the material and for showering it across the inner circumference of the Vessel, each set of lifting blades being arranged in staggered relation with an adjacent set of blades.

5 9. In apparatus for gasifying materials,

a rotary vessel having an intake and an offtake for the material, a refractory lining for the vessel, means for admitting an oxygen-bearing agent into the interior of the vessel and other means for bringing the material repeatedly into contact with the oxygen-bearing agent, and means Within the Vessel for retarding the travel of the material.

JOHN W. HORNSEY. Witnesses:

E. E. TEAGLE, G. H. KINSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

